MELBOURNE, May 26 (Xinhua) -- A meeting of the China Wool Industrial Association (CWIA) in the Australian state of Victoria, the first time the organization has met outside China, has been hailed as a success.
More than 130 delegates representing China's 80 major wool processors attended the meeting of the event in Ballarat, about 105 km west of Melbourne, in what has been described as a major boost for Victoria's wool industry.
More than 80 percent of Australia's wool, an industry worth 2.2 billion U.S. dollars annually to the country, is exported to China for local use and manufacturing.
The meeting was held at the Lal Lal Estate, which is owned by Qingnan Wen, president of Tianyu Wool, and is home to 12,000 iconic merino sheep, renowned for producing the finest quality wool.
Jaala Pulford, Victoria's minister for Agriculture, said that the meeting was indicative of the government's commitment to Victoria's wool farmers.
"It speaks volumes that the China Wool Industrial Association has chosen Victoria to host its conference," Pulford said in a media release on Friday.
"We're leading the nation when it comes to food and fibre exports and our producers should be proud that demand for world-class quality you can trust continues to rise."
"With wool prices surging ahead, and China continuing to make record investments in processing and innovation, now is the time for Victoria to strengthen the relationship with our number one trading partner."
The association, which was established 20 years ago, discussed initiatives undertaken in Victoria to electrically tag all sheep and goats to ensure world-leading traceability and biosecurity.
Phillip Dalidakis, Victoria's minister for Innovation and Trade, said that the meeting was a sign of a blooming relationship between Victoria and China.
"China is an ideal market to expand Victoria's wool exports as it has the world's largest population, booming middle class and an increasing demand for premium goods," Dalidakis said.
